FOU seizes contraband worth N200m in one month

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) ‘Zone A’ of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized contrabands worth N200 million in the last one month.

Customs Area Controller, FOU Zone A Ikeja Lagos, Comptroller Mohammed Uba Garba, who declared the numerous seizures within a month, bemoaned the high rate of smuggling contrabands into the country.

Describing the feat as a spectacular breakthrough in anti-smuggling operations, Garba said 15 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

Within this period, he said 40 different seizures were recorded comprising vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, medicaments, used tyres, and various general merchandise.

“We have intercepted various contraband with a duty paid value (DPV) of N200.9 million only from 13th June to 10th July 2017. In the same vein, the unit through our interventions recovered N28.9 from duty payments and demand notices on general goods that tried to outsmart our officers at seaports, airport and border stations through wrong classification, transfer of value, and shortchange in duty payment that are meant for the Federal Government of Nigeria, making a cumulative of N229.9 million from 13th June to July 10th 2017,” he said.

According to him the Unit has also intercepted 1,442 cartoons of drugs (Tramadol 225/120mg) in container number MSKU 98895 1X40ft and a MAN Diesel truck with Reg no. RRU 513 XA along Apapa-Oshodi and Ijebu Ode expressway.

“Only God knows what would have happened if these drugs get to the wrong hands. In the spirit of inter agency relationship, the drugs will be handed over to National Agency for Foods Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) today (Wednesday) for further investigation,” he said.

Following series of infraction on some of the containers intercepted based on information, he said the Unit has also seized seven containers that contravened Customs law by means of false declaration and breach of import prohibition list by trade. While three of the containers carried 5,014 pieces of used tyres, used fridges, used double electric burner, the other containers carried 499 cartons of Eva soap as against Poultry Incubator declared in the Single Goods Declaration (SGD).